211 

9 N7 
py 1 



The 

Sweet Potato 



How to Grow 

and Keep 

It 



By J. GREEN NORDIN, 

Russellville, Arkansas 



The 

Sweet Potato 



How to Grow 

and Keep 

It 



By J. GREEN NORDIN, 

Russellville, Arkansas 







V* 



19 12 
Courier-Democrat Print 

Russellville, Arkansas 



©CU328987 
/ 



By J. Green Nordin, Rulssellville, Ark. 












What This Book Contains. 



In giving an outline of the sweet potlato industry, according to 
my system of raising, digging, and keeping and selling, I will take 
it unideir eleven different heads, as each, one needs to be studied sep- 
arately. While they all are very essential, yet some are of more im- 
portance than others. Study each one very closely, and only one at a 
time, following all directions! as given. 

These different subjects will be treated under the following heads, 
to-wit: 

1. Selection of seed for bedding. 

2. Time for bedding, and different ways of bedding. 

3. Selection and preparation of land. 

4. Transplanting. 

5. Cultivation. 

6. Description and sizes of houses. 

7. Cost of house. 

8. Digging. 
0. Keeping. 

10. Marketing. 

11. Diseases of Potatoes. 



The Sweet Potato — How to Grow and Keep It. 



Results of My Methods. 



Under the methods of growth and keeping- of potatoes outlined 
herein, I have kept potatoes in sound condition for three years. Of 
course they shrink in size when kept this long, and are not suitable 
for market, but it shows what can be done with sweet potatoes un- 
der my methods. 

I have on file in the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 
Arkansas at Little Rock a sworn affidavit to this effect. And in the 
fall of 1911 1 had on exhibition on the 'Arkansas on Wheels" train 
which toured the North and East, samples of potatoes from three 
different crops (from the years 1909, 1910 and 1911, which were 

viewed' with wonder (by thousands who visited this train. 

Theire is no necessity for keeping sweet potatoes longer than o<ne 
season, as they are always in great demand at highest prices in Late 
winter and at planting time. Keep your potatoes until this time, and 
you will find ready markets, at double and even treble the prices for 
which your neighbors sell at diggimg time. 



By J. Green Nordin, Riussellville, Ark. 5. 



A Personal Sketch. 



In writing this little book, I feel that the first thing I should 
do is to give a short history of myself, as people generally, when 
asked to try something new on the testimony or recommendation of 
some unknown person, usually ask, "Who is he?" "What has he 

done?" "Has anyone tried his metlods and found them successful?" 

I was horn July 29, 1880, about fifteen miles northwest of Rus- 
sellville and six miles ncirth of London, Pope County, Arkansas,, ott 
an upland farm of 160 acres, in the spurs of the Colony Mountain. Be- 
ing reared by parents of moderate means, I did not have the opportu- 
nity to receive the education that I longed for while young. However, 
I improved what time I had, studying at night, by pine-knot fires for 
light and following the plow handles by day. In the winter of 189 6 
and 1897 I managed to take a course in the Atkins High School, and 
in June of 189 7 I managed to pass the Teachers Examination and se- 
cured license to teach in the free schools of Pope county. I secured a 
school and began my first term as teacher on July 28 of the same 
year, one day before I was seventeen yeans old. I then followed school 
teaching and farming, going to school at such times as I could afford 
to, until i was twenty-two years old. I then commenced the grow- 
inig of sweet potatoes, which I have followed since with the exception of 
a part of the years of 18 94 and 18 9 5, finding it more profitable than 
any other occupation I have ever followed. 

In the -primg of 1902 I commenced work for J. C. Shinn, the 
pioneer potato raiser of this section, working for him the entire years 
of 1902 and 1903. 

Prom the age of a very small boy I was always dlisiganstedi with the 
raising of cotton, working early and late and never getting anything 
out of Lt except work and disappointments — expecting something, and 
getting nothing. 

So after working for J. C. Shinn in 1902 and making- a share 1 
crop with him in 1903, I decided that I wanted to raise potatoes for 
myself. But I did not have the means with wh'ch I could do so. In 
the fall of 1903 I bought a small upland farm, and continued to work 
for Mr. Shinn until the spring of the following year, when [ moved 
to my own pirtce. and worked on the railrov.d the bf.lance of that 
year and a part of 1905. Then I went to work on my farm and 
raised a small crop of potatoes, and have steadily increased my acre- 
age every year until the present year, 1912, I am putting out sixty 
acres in potatoes and have 13? acres in other crops. I have pur- 
chased 311 acres more land, ten head of horses and over $1,000.00" 




J. GREEN NORDIN. 



By J. Green Nordin, Ruisisellville, Ark. 7< 

worth of farm machinery. Some of it is not yet all paid for, but I 
hope to get rid of all indebtedness this season . I have also erected 
three potato houses at a cost of $1,300.00, besiides several other 
buildings, including one dwelling tenant house, and have made ovef 
$1,000.00 worth of improvements in the way cl" clearing an I fenc- 
ing land. 

So anyone can Aee at a glance that there is good money to be 

made in raising sweet potatoes, under the right system of growing, 
keekeeping and marketing. 

1 had never thought of writing this book until in February'. 12 12, 
when I began to receive a great number of inquiries concerning the 
keeping of potatoes, as the result of newspaper interviews that had 
been published concerning my methods and success. Not having time 
to answer all these inquiries and give everyone an outline, I decided 
to write this book, making everything as plain as possible, and much 
more thorough than could have been attempted in personal letters. 
The price of the book, compared with the information that it gives, 
is as nothing. While the price is small, it is the only way in which I 
can give this information to those desiring it, and the sale of the same 
will reimburse me for the time and expense of publishing it. If I 
were .able, I would gladly give it to all. 

If there is any point on which the reader wants more information, 
or which he does mot understand, enclose stamp and I will try to 
make it plain. 

Respectfully yours, 

J. G. NORDIN, 

Russellville, Ark. 



3fc 









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! I 



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y 



Transplanter at work Putting out Slips. 



By J. Green Nordin, Rusisellviile, Ark. 



Selection of Seed for Bedding. 



In selecting seed, always be sure to get sound potatoes. If pois 1 - 
■sible, get them grown on different kind of soil from that on which 
you intend to plant, as potatoes grown on deep, sandy, bottom sail, 
make better seed for up-lamd, as they are always long and have a 
tendency to produce longer potatoes on up-kind The longer sweet 

potatoes are, the better sample they make, if they have plenty of size. 
Likewise, seed from up- land is better for planting in bottom land, as it 
tends to make large potatoes and not too long. I find it best to 
•change seed every third year, if not oftener. 

As to the size of potatoes for bedding, some prefer large, while 
others select small. In my ten years' experience I have found that, 
everything considered, size is of but little importance. The more 
surface you have, the more room you have for plants; and of course 
there is moiv surface on a bushel of small potatoes than on a bushel 
of large ones. If you are bedding on a hot-bed, you will find that 
small potatoes will sprout quicker than large ones, although large 
seed will make thriftier plants than small ones. But I do not think 
the plants from the larger seed grow off any faster. 

If you ore bedding just plain bed, the small potatoes will go 
much further than large ones, and will "slip" quicker and oftener. 
1 % bushels of small potatoes will cover as large a plot of ground as 
two bushels of larger o;; 

In selecting seed, be sure they are free from all diseases, such 
as are described in the last article of this book. If you have a 
diseased potato to start with, it will be sure to show up on you lat- 
er in a way that is sure to cost, as the disease is carried into the 
plants, ant of course into your next crop of potatoes,, and it may cause 
you to lose a whole crop. 



Time for Bedding. 



• The best time for bedding varies in two vir.ys, depending upon the 
manner in which you bed, and the - locality you are in. 

If the bed is to be made a hot bed, the seed may be bedded as 
soon as safe from freezing and frost killing plaints. In this section 
of Arkansas about the 15th of March is as early as it is advisable to' 
make a hot-bed, for if you ,get plants up, they would be of no use, as 
frost would be sure to kill them down. And plants bitten down by 
frost are worse than no plants at all, for they will sprout out at top 
• of ground on the old stub, making no root at all, and while the old 



By J. Green, Nordin, R'Ujsisellville, Ark. 11. 

stub is on. the potato, it wil.l not sprout again. So it is not best to 
try to bed too early, hot-bed or not. Furthermore, early bedding' is 
likely to rot the potatoes, probably causing tine loss of a crop. 

For common beds, April 1st is early enough. If you put them in 
the ground too early they are almost sure to rot, as ,sweet potatoes 
positively cannot stand cold weather. I have seen some exceptions 
where they could have been bedded earlier. 

Making Small Hot-Bids. 

Making hot-beds is very easy where there lis only a few bushels 
to be bedded — ten bushels or less. There are various ways of making 
the hot-bed. About the least expensive is made from stable ma- 
nure, or any manure that has not been mould* d or wet. It must be of 
a nature that when you move it it will heat. Another satisfactory sys- 
tem that I often saw used when a boy, was to use cotton seed, pack- 
ing the seed clown tightly and burning with hot water. Green pine 
straw is good, and really I believe will hold heat lionger than any- 
thing. Most anything can be used that will go through to a heat 
after being packed down and wet. 

The system most generally used for hot-beds is to remove' dirt 
about ten inches deep, then place dry manure (or whaetver is to be 
used) about four to six inches thick, packing down tight and wetting 
through. Then cover about two or three inches with rich dirt. Then 
place potatoes as close together as they will ! ; e in the bed wirhout 
touching, and cover with about 2% inches of rich soil as can be got- 
ten. If available in no other way, take the dirt which you have taken 
from the ground in preparing for the bed, arc; mix with manure. Af- 
ter bed is finished, keep covered if rain is threatened, as a cold rain 
would be sure to rot the potatoes, for the manure will get very warm 
when wet. A good, long themometeir should be p la iced in bed with 
the bulb on a level with the potatoes and the top extending up out 
of the soil. When potatoes begin to get dry, water should be warm- 
ed up to the same temperature of the bed, or a little above, and the 
bed moistened. If weatheir should turn very cold, bed should be cov- 
ered with old sacks; or something to exclude the cold air. A hot-bed 
will not sitand cold weather or rain, and a sudden change will ruin 
the potatoes. Amount of water to be put on bed varies according 
to weather conditions. With damp, cloudy weathej after the bed has 
been wet through, it does not need to be watered, as too much water 
at the wrong time is injurious. But when the sun is shining warm 
and you do not have cold nights, you can hardly get too much 
water on the bed. 

Then after, each time of drawing off t' e slips, the bed should be 
watered to settle the dirt back to the potatoes, for pulling off the 
elips generally pulls them out of place. 





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^••ms&^Ji &&*$*« 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 13, 

For Bedding in Large Quantities. 

The best and cheapest method of bedding a large quantity, say 
ten bushels ©*■ more, is simply to make the ground rich as possible iin 
January, by breaking your bed ten or twelve inches deep and mixing 
manure with the soil thoroughly. It does not matter if it is one-third 
manure — only the better. In this section, from Miarch 25 to April 
5 is the best time to bed in this way. After having been prepared in 
January as slated above, when you are ready to bed out potatoes the 
ground should be coated with well pulverized manure and broke to a 
depth of about six inches. Then take off about three inches of dirt. 
Dig up and pulverize good to another depth of about three inches, and 
place (he potatoes as in a hot bed, so as not to touch each other, 
and cover with the first dirt taken off, smoothing the bed nicely. Them 
keep watered well, except in cold, cloudy weather. At no time will a 
bed prepared in this way have to be covered from rain, as there i© 
morning in it to cause heat when wet. While a cold rain does the po- 
tatoes no s,ood. yet there is no danger of rotting, as in the hot-bed. 

Beds prepared as above, except in a very cold April, will be 
covered with plants by the first of May. They will then. .sprout again 
after May Jst as quicltly as any hot bed, and does not take as- 

much water. After pulling plants, be sure to water at once, so as- to 
set dirt back to potatoes. Then water successively every other day 
until rain comes, for they cannot get water too often after May 1st, 
unless the weather is very cloudy and cool. 

If the grower has: a reservoir or tank lo water from, it helps 
greatly to use laundry soap. This may seem expensive, but it is cheap 
compared with the results you get. Soap may be secured very cheaply 
if bought in barrel quantities, like the laundries use. 

In arranging beds, they should not be made more than ten or 
eleven feet wide, but may be as long as desired. Something should be 
placed on either side of the bed to keep it from washing down. The 
plankis or whatever is used on the sides as a curb should be elevated 
enough to hold a ladder twelve feet long, which may be placed across 
the bed and used to wialk on when pulling off plants or weeding the 
bed. 

In locating the bed, it should always be where the isiun can shine 
on it all day. If the bed cannot be entirely free from shade, it is 
best that the ghade be on the bed in the evening. Water beds late in 
the afternoon or at night, so as not to isiqald or bake. When the sun 
comes up the next day the water will be settled down so that there is 
but little if any danger of scalding the plants. Plants scalded do 
not start to growing as well as if not scalded. If watered in the 
morning when the weather is not cloudy, the plants will scald, and it' 
the plants are not up the ground will bake. 

For Larger Ho* r Bed. 

The best plan to make hot-ibeds on a large scale is as follows; 



14. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow, and Keep It. 

They can be made cheap or they can; be made expensive, but they 
will' last longer if made as outlined below: 

Prepare the bed same as for common beds described above. 
Them commence oil one side and dig a trench 12 to 14 inches deep 
the full 'ength of the bed. Turn at the end and come back 20 to 24 
inches from the first trench, and so on, digging the parallel trenches 
until the bed is covered. Put into these trenches 1 V 2 inch piping, 
commencing at. one side and following the trenches until all the 
trenches are taken up. Connect one end of the pipe iinto the tank, and 
the other to pump and from pump back to tank. The tank may be 
made of lumber. Small pipes should be run frolm tank to furnace, 
where water can be heated and then pumped through the pipes under 
the bed. In this way the bed can be kept at any temperature de- 
sired, governing the water and bed by thermometer. 

This Oed should be prepared so ias to be covered during cold 
rains, as too sudden a change would rot the potatoes. A bed as de- 
scribed above wiill not prove very costly, as tin,' tank may be made of 
wood, and a common thresher pump may be used, with a small gaso- 
line engine to operate the pump. The piping is the most expensive 
item. But thl. system is well worth while, as it' is far more reliable 
than any other and does not depend upon unfavorable weather con- 
ditions. 
» 

Selection and Preparation of Land. 



The proper selection of land is a very essential feature in the 
successful growing of sweet potatoes. Most any loamy up-land will 
make good potatoes. Clay subsoil is also good for them. Sandy bottom 
land, when n;ot too rich, or made land is the best that can be had. 
Poor isandy bottom land, fertilized, as also' fine. 

The preparation of the land is aliso most important. Not later 
than the first of February the land should be cleaned of all trash. 
Subsoiling is fine if dene in January or February, but not advisable 
if done later than March 1. 

Break the land as early as possible. Upland should be broken 5 
to 7 inches deep; 'bottom land 7 to 10 inches deep. If land is sub- 
soiled, go as deep as four 1000-pound mults can pull in bottom land, 
and two mules in upland, with a regular subsoiler. This may seem 
very deep to some, but it is best. 

After preparing soil as above, keep it in gocdi state of cultiva- 
tion, harrowing and disoiing as often as is needed until plants begin 
to come on the bed. Then ridge the ground tor (the plants, preparing 
enough ground to care for what plants will be secured at the first 
pulling-off, allowing ahout 7,500 plants to the acre. If you are to 
use a trauspla niter, do not prepare your ground into ridges until you 



By J. Green Nordin, RJussellville, Ark. 15, 

are ready to transplant. (Andi right here I wish to say that the 
Fuller & Johnson Bern is Transplanter, of Madison, Wis., is fine, and 
cannot be excelled.) RMgee dry out more than level soil doeis. The 
trans plan tier waters the plant as it is set, and i would advise anyone 
who is raising as much asi two acres or more of potatoes to purchase 
a transplanter. On that acreage it will almost save its cost in one 
season. Besides, you can ■ set cabbage, tomatoes or anything that is 
to be transplanted, with it. 

In selecting land suitable for raising sweet potatoes, if the 
planter is not prepared to analyze his soil, it may be sent to any 
State University, where it will be analyzed. Or any fertilizer manu- 
facturer will gladly do it for a small sum. Always' select land that 
will drain, either naturally or by absorption. Land that is wet na- 
tured (crumpish, as some call it) is all right if it will drain itself, but 
if it is level it is no good, and might iciause rot before potatoes ma- 
ture. Of course this kind of soil does not give the production thait 
better land does. 

In preparing ridges' the width should vary according to fertility 
of the soil. Good bottom land should be: 3 feet and 9 inches to 4 
feet wide. Some land will bear rows as close as 2 feet and 10 inches, 
but this 1 is not best. Better results are obtained from Wide ridges 
than from close ones. 

Method and Time of Transplanting. 

Transplanting can be done in this section of Arkansas as early 
as the slips can be grown, and as late as July 25, and make some 
potatoes, but about June 20th is as late as they can successfully be set 
and depended upon to make potatoes large enough for eating purposes. 
Of course in extremely favorable seasons they may do well planted lat- 
er. The latest I have ever set was on August 8. in 1903, when I 
made a few seed potatoes, but very few. The latest to make good po- 
tatoes was planted July 16, 1906, and made some large enoiuigh for 
eating purposes. I do not approve of setting later than June 20, 
unless one has ground set aside for potatoes and has nothing else to 
plant on it. 

There are several conditions under which plants are set. The 
best way, and under which plants start to growing quicker, is to have 
land in fine state of cultivation put into ridges as soon after rain as 
can be plowed (not too wet), set out and watered. The wet ground 
should, then be covered with fresh earth to prevent baking or crusting. 
Plants may be set by hand, but this is very slow work and hard on 
the hands, and the plants do not grow well. They may be dropped 
with root-end in a straight lime on the ridges and pushed down with 
forked sticks. Push plants down as far as they will go without push- 
ing the buds under. Pack dirt firmly around the roots and fill hole 
up. with dirt. 

The above system is the way in which I have put most all of my 



By J. Green Noir&in, Russisllville, Ark. 17. 

previous crops, having my ground prepared and following above plan 
after a raiu sufficient to wet the ground. However, they do not grow 
off as well as under other systems of transplanting. 

As to tra noplantieTis, I have never used one until this 1 season.. I 
find they save considerable time, and leave the plants in a much bet- 
ion for cultivation, ais th y are in a straight line and may 
be plowed without using a scraper. Using a transplanter also makes 
a difference in the gn plants.. As pn viously stated, plants 

set and w« dig quicker, which of course means more 

POt Hi 

In mting, ts if i/t can be avoid- 

ed, as it tend i top growth. 

If -short cv pla] diem S to 10 

inches long and put all in the ground butt 2 to r well 

at bottom and fill around 

Impw riuv; Variety of Seed. 

If variety of potatoes are to be improvi ' [s (he 

way to do it. I id bed them separately 

from your regular crop. Pull I plants as soon as they appear, 

■so as to get them onto!' the way. The.- and 

transp] m in your improvement patch. Cultivate quickly, 

to get a owtb of vines. If you war.' to grow short, large po- 

tatoes, get your cuttings from the shortest v'neis. If long, slim potatoes 
are d utf from the longest vines, and .set as above. Repeat 

the -above year after year. Potatoes can be grown as desired as to size 
and shape. 

A few words about mixing the different varieties. Some claim 
weet po a.tc s can be mixed, but I have never seen it i-ntha' 
yet. I have been on; the constant lookout for anything that might 
prove to be of any advancement to potatoes, and have found no 
that tends to show where they would possibly mix, unless M was from 
the blooms*. Some may not be aware of the fact that sweet potatoes 
"bloom. And they do not. bloom very often. I have hunted a 
acre for them, and have never seen but threa oi four blooms in my 
life. 

Now, could it b9 possible for them to mix through the bloom? It 
would be ver^ o got the blooms frcim two varieties tog 

for all who know anything about mixing different varieties of any- 
thing know that it has to be at a certain stage to get the propter re- 
sults. With the blooms so rare asi they are on sweet potatoes, this 
would be very hard. It is: my opinion that sweet potatoes do> not mix, 
and in all my observation I have found nothing that proved that 
they will mix. 

Using the Transplanter. 

A few more words in regard to transplanter. Since writing the 
above on transplanting I have used a transplanter extensively, and 



The Sweet Potato — How to Grow; and Keep It. 



find that a potato grower can profit greatly by using them. They 
help out so much in the cultivation afterward. 

I will give a short system which I find iis good to use .in this 
connection. Prepare ground the same as for transplanting by hand. 
Instead of making it into ridgeis, simply take a cultivator disc and 
turn the discs together — that is, so they will throw the dart together. 
Make as high a ridge as possible with the disc. Go over this ridge af- 
ter every rain if possible, pullimg the ridges up higher each time, 
killing all grass and weeds that may have come up, if any. Keep up 
this system until your crop is all transplanted. In case there is ex- 
cessive rains and nidgesi become hard and bed is backward it might 
be necessary to re-ridge potatoes. This gives a good plaint 

bed, keeping it free of foulness and making it much easier to cul- 
tivate, as they are in a straight row and in good shape. That is, 
they are standing up straight. 

In buying a transplanter, I would advise the Beeimis, manufac- 
tured by Fullei & Johnson, Madison, Wis. I find theirs to be a fine 
piece of farm machinery and does the work to perfection. The two cutis 
in this book are from the Beemis transplanter at work. With this im- 
plement you can set anything that is to be transplanted — sweet po- 
tatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, strawberries or other plants. 



Cultivation. 



NO. I. 

The cultivation of sweet potatoes depends mere upon fertility of 
soil, growth of vegetation and rainfall, than upon anything else. Most 
of the expense of cultivation should be for work done in preparation 
of the soil before potatoes are transplanted. If the land is properly 
prepared and well pulverized' before transplanting, the • crop will 
need but little cultivation further than to keep down foulness, unless 
hard, packing rains come. And right here I wish to state that most 
any land that will grow* sweet potatoes will surely grow crab grass, 
good and plenty. 

The first cultivation I give my potatoes- is to scrape them very 
shallow as soon as I get rain after transplanting. Then hoe all grass 
and weed out that may have come up, filling up holes around the 
plants that may not have been filled in transplanting, for in case 
it should rain after transplanting before cultivating these holes, 

fill with water and bake,. Then plow with as large sweeps as they 
will bear, say 18 to 22 inches. Then I do rot bother them any 
more until they begin to vine (unless I have a vine less potato, 
which takes more cultivation.) 

I then take and hoe and out all weeds that may have come since 



By J. Green Nordin, Russell lvi lie, Ark. 19. 



the last cultivation on top of drill and on the .sides of ridges, turning 
the vines all one way and leaving the middle open. I then plow with 
a 24-iinch sweep or larger plow, if need be' going three times to each 
middle that is open — in other words, every other middle, leaving the 
vines in each alternating middle, which is not plowed at thisi time. 
After a week or ten days I throw the vines into the middle that was 
plowed before, leaving the other side of the row open, and plow it 
the same ais the first, three furrows to each middle, with same size 
plow as used at first. This makes' a good sized ridge. And bear in 
mind that the higher the ridge at laying-by time, the more potatoes 
at harvest time. 

NO. II. 

I give this mode of cultivation (No. 2) for the benefit of some 
people who like to tear the ridge down to start wliith and then build 
back with cultivation. This plan would be a success in case of a 
very dry season, as the tearing down and building back would, tend to 
conserve the moisture and make the potatoes grow in dry weather. 
But' in> case oi' a very wet season, which we sometimes have here in 
Arkansas, it would tend to make the vines grow so fast that one 
would have no chance to work them more than once. They ■ would be 
too long for any success in cultivating a second time. Turning the 
vines a second time, especially if they are large, is very injurious. 
And without a second cultivation you will get nc ridge to them, and 
too low a ridge at laying-by is sure to mean a short crop as compared 
to a higher nidge. So my advice is always to keep the ridge as 
high ai 'possible, especially at last cultivation. 

Keep the soil in good state of cultivation before transplanting 
and you will have no trouble in keeping moisture afterward. Your 
only trouble will be to keep down the weeds and grass, wiiich are 
sure to come if the soil is at all adapted to potatoes. 

In giving a system for cultivation with low ridges — Take cul- 
tivator and any scraper adapted to their use and scrape very deep 
and close. Hce out all grasises and weeds, it" any, and then plow with 
small plow, something like a 14-inch sweep. Continue this every six 
to ten days until the vines get too long for plowing. 

Where a transplanter has been used the cultivation will be 
found much easier than if transplanted by hand, as the plants are 
more regular and in a straight Line, which insures closer work, so 
you can get all weeds and grass that come up while plants are small 
and tender. 

You can then plow with small or large plows, as you Like. 

After potatoes that have been put out with a transplanter, I 
alw-ays use a 16-inch sweep to begin with and follow up with about 
a 2 0-inch iswcep. In that case you will have to plow them three 
times at least, buit only having to turn the vines one time. You will 
never have to use the hoe at all, as you can keep all grass and 



20. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow and Keep It. 



weeds down with the plow. But under this method you will have to 
turn the vines at laying^by time, as no .ground that will make good 
sweet potatoes can be laid by with vines short enough to plow with- 
out them getting so grassy or weedy that they could not be dug with 
any satisfaction. Also, it would cut the production, down considera- 
bly, and as production is what you are growing the potatoes tor, you 
want all you can make. 



The Potato House. 



The potato house is the most important thing in the potato indus- 
try, asi this ic the place in which they are stored until suitable time 
for selling, but no potato house will keep potatoes within itself, 
wilt bout outside assistance. Lots of people think that if 

you can keep sweet potatoes from freezing, that is all that is needed 
to keep them. That system may prove all right some years. But 

merely to keep them from freezing and rotting is not sufficient, es- 
peaially if you are to ship your ptatoes, as without proper treat- 
ment they will be juicy and full of water, and they are easily 
skinned and bruised when moved, and rot quickly. They will not 
stand the change of air from cellar to open air. 

There are several systems by which you can keep sweet potatoes 
from freezing, and probably keep them through so th*it some of 
them will sprout in the spring. But most of these methods do not 
give the results they o'ught to, for as costly as sweet potatoes are in 
the spring, they ought every one to sprout. After making all the 
potatoes you can, the next thing is to kesp every one of them, for all 
that rot are a total loss — and a very expensive loss, as the cost of 
producing is thrown away. 

I will give a few: of the systems I have seen used, with which 
I suppose most people are more or less familiar. The one perhaps 
used imore than any other is a cellar du,g out under the house or some 
building, and usually drained to lower ground by a ditch. It has 
been my observation that at least 50 per cent cf the potatoes cared 
for in this way rot. The rest are hardly ever marketable potatoes, 
as they are stained by the rotten potatoes with which they have 
come in contact. Often part of th.3 rotten potatoes are stulck to the 
sound ones and dried. And even though the potatoes may be sound 
and good looking, they will not stand shipping, as sudden changes 
cause them to rot rapidly, and, as stated before, they are easily skin- 
ned and bruised. 

Some use a stove in their cellar to keep potatoes from freezing 
during cold weather. But this is no good, as the potatoes cannot get 
air in an underground system, and if you take air away from sweet 
potatoes in cold weather they will not ship, as they will go down 



By J. Green Non-din., Russellviile, Ark. 21. 



(rot) when ibey do get air. When put in cellars and processed right 
they will keep better than with any of the old systems, but they will 
not be in as perfect condition as if housed above ground. 

Then I have seen them put in hills — that is, piled up on the 
groundi, with straw, grass, corn stalks, brush cr something of the 
kind under them and spread over them, and then covered with dirt 
to a depth of 4 to 10 inches. This will keep them some winters, and 
they are fairly good if used fresh when first taken out oif the hill. 
But they will not bear shipping at all, as ihey will generally rot in 
from 24 to 72 hours. 

For strictly home use, putting up in dry sandi is very good and 
will answer where there is no means of building a house, if sand is 
available, it is a very cheap method. To put up in this way, put 
the potatoes in some shed, where they will keep dry. Mix the sand 
all the way through the potatoes, and be surs to cover deep enough 
to prevent freezing. They will keep just as they were when dug, and 
taste the same. They can be sold to local markets, but potatoes kept 
under this plan will not ship any distance. They will not stand up 
long, and will hardly keep as long as when fresh dug. 

None of the above plans are good, and to rely upon them at all 
is very costly experience, as one is always in doubt as to> whether 
his potatoes are going to keep or mot. After growing and dig- 
ging a crop, it is no sane policy to let them ruin through care- 
lessness or by trying to save the expense of a properly constructed 
house. 

Keeping sweet potatoes is a very simple matter after one has 
become accustomed to their requirements. It takes all the year and 
four months of another year to complete a crop. In other words, four 
months of on;- crop is connected with the previous crop. 

Properly Built Potato House. 

In describing properly built potato house, I will first give an 
outline of how they must be built to prevent the potatoes from freez- 
ing, and tc keep them air tight when so desired. 

Houses can be built of different materials, such as brick, stone, 
concrete or lumber. I prefer lumber, as it is by far the cheapest 
of any. Brick, stone or concrete walls have to be built so they will 
not sweat on the inside, or lined with lumber to prevent dampness 
from coming in contact with potatoes, for dampness is sure to cause 
them to rot. This is very expensive, for any of the brick, stone of 
concrete Louses, if not built with air spaces, would soon rot out the 
lumber lining. 

The thickness of the walls onust be determined by the material 
used. If bricK, stone or concrete, for a house 20x20 feet, 12-inch 
walls will be sufficient. If house is 'to be larger, say 2 0x4 feet, the 
walls should be 12 or 14 inches thick, for the larger the house, the 
harder to keep warm. (The above is from actual experience, as I 



By J. Green Nordin, Russell villa, Ark. 23< 

have the two sizes on my farm, as shown by pictures elsewhere in this 
book.) 

For houses constructed of lumber the thickness of walls should 
be as follows: 

For house 20x20 feet, walls should be 12 inches thick. 

For linage 20x40 feet, walls should be 12 to 16 inches. 

Above specifications are for this section and temperature. Fur- 
ther north the walls would have to be considerably thicker to resist 
the cold. Above thicknesses are for inside measurements, or for the 
space between the walls that is to be filled with sawdust or whatever 
fining is to be used. 

In building a potato house the foundation is essential, and; must 
be of brick, stone or concrete, concrete being the best. Foundation 
can be built in different ways. For the location of potato house, I 
would advise the side of a hill or slope if possible, so that one side 
of the foundation may be raised to the level of your wagon box for 
convenience in loading. The opposite side of course will not have to be 
built up high, thus saving considerable expense in building. The foun- 
dation then wants to be filled! to' a level with top of foundation, and 
covered with stone, concrete or brick, so as to keep rats and mice 
from scratching dirt up in piles under the bins or shelves, which cuts 
off ventilation and causes the potatoes to> rot. If stone floor is used, 
I would advise covering with clay to a depth of 1, 2 or 3 inches. If 
concrete or brick, loose dirt of any kind will do This covering is to 
prevent dampness, which will be sure to rise if not prevented. 

It may seem expensive to some to go to this expense for founda- 
tion, but it saves quite a lot of trouble and expense afterward and will 
be found money well spent. Being elevated, it makes the loading and 
unloading so much easier, as your waigon is on a level with the floor. 
It alsoi prevents damage by rats, which is sure to be great if not 
avoided against. 

For a frame or lumber building, after preparing the foundation 
in the above way, oak sills should be used. If house is 20x20, sills 
should be 4x12 Inches, 20 feet long. If 20x40 foot house, sills should 
4xll, 20 feet long. These should be put down on fresh concrete, so 
as to be air tight, and well fastened together ai the corners so as to 
make them hold together. Then the studding should be set. 

Studding may be full width of thickness of ".vali ; but is very expen- 
sive, I us q 2x4 oak studding, as they last much longer than pine. 
Studding should be out 12 feet long for outside and 10 feet for inside. 
Nail web to sills and tie together every two feet to top of wall, so as 
to keep thean from spreading when wall is filled. Put your plate on 
inside studding, and then place your joists on top of inside stud- 
ding or plate rail. This leaves space on top of loft to put about 
16 inches of sawdust or whatever is used for filling. The floor on top 
of joists wants to be perfectly tight, so as to let no air escape. If 
the top and walls are filled with sawdust, it is well to have all walls, 



DIAGRAM A. 



Boor 



Door 































Bin g 

f.'., ft. 


1 





Floor plan for house 20x20 feet — (Scale — 6 feet per inch) 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 2 5. 



as well as flooring overhead, very tight, or the sawdust will sift 

through. 

In setting the outside studding, they have to be set in about two 
inches, so lhat 2x4's may be nailed every three feet around the out- 
side of the studding, to wihich the boxing is to be nailed. This gives 
a straight line from sills to plate, making the 2x4 nailed to studding 
come in line with the plate and giving five places to nail the boxing 
to. Boxing for outside wall must be nailed; on perpendicular, other- 
wise rain will blow in and wet the sawdust, rotting the entire build- 
ing. The outside wall may be weatherboardeJ if desired,. Boxing 
for the inside wall should be nailed horizontal so as to help brace 
the building. Cracks in the inside walls will not haive to be stripped, 
"but strips are necessary on outside walls. 

In putting in; studding, be sure to put in braces for doors, for 
the doors are very heavy and will soon swag down if not properly 
braced. Places for doors will be shown in diagram for the two dif- 
ferent size houses described herein. 

Roofing .may be done in any way suitable to builder. I always 
cover with galvanized iron. Any roofing that will not leak is good, 
bult I would advise galvanized iron roofing altogether, as it is so 
much safer from fire and is generally much cheaper than a shingle 
roof. 

Doors anfl Air Holes. .. I.* 

Doors should be 3x7 feet. In setting t^e studding on either 
side of door, it should be set flaring on one side so as the door 
will shut up tight. The door should be eight inches thick, made of 
lumber and filled with sawdust. Edges should be well padded to 
insure the door being air tight when needed. 

House 20x20 feet should have two doors and two air holes. 

House 20x4 feet should have four doors and six air holes. 

Air holes should be made as follows: 

A hole .about 10 inches square should be cut in the loft, and a box 
18 inches long by 12 inches square made and fastened to loft over 
hole so as to keep sawdust from falling through. These should be 
fixed so as to be closed during cold weather and in processing time. 
A house 20x20 feet should have one air hole in opposite walls of the 
house, or two holes in the lofit near the edge on opposite sides. 
House 20x40 feet should have six air holes, one in each corner and 
one midway on each side. 

Remember these air holes must be made so as ito close ui> air 
tight. A wad of old sacks crammed down in them is a very good 
makeshift, but not the best. A lid miade with padded edges can be 
used, fitting down over the sides of opening. By having this prepar- 
ation there will not ibe so much danger of being caught in a oofd snap 
with northing to stop the hole$ with. 

The inside of the house will be explained by description and 
diagram. 



DIAGRAM B. 








3rd Bin - 

00 




C 

•Jnrt Bin 




1st Bin •" 

OS 



End View ot house 20x20 fete*. (Scale' — 6 feet per imch) 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 27. 



Aisles and Bins. 

The house 2 0x2 should have an aisle five feet wide. As the in- 
side measurement of the house is: only 18x18, This leaves 13 feet for 
shelves! or bins. There should be five studdiugs placed at equal distance 
on each side of the aisle, with the bottoms put on siollid foundation and 
the tops fastened to joists. These should be 2x\\ inches, 10 feet long, 
of good sound pine or some so fit wood, as I 5 will have to be 

drawn out during the shipping season. 

From these studding to the walls on either side j> ;>ers 

2x6 inches, 6% feet long. These should be oak. The first tier of 
sleeper© may be placed on edge on the floor of the house and fasten- 
ed by naili.ig one end to the situdd'inig and the ether to the wall. Floor 
these sileepers with 1x3 inch strips, do> not nail them, placed one inch 
apart, leaving a one-inch crack or opening between these strips or 
narrow boa rue. Three feet above this floor or shelf place another set 
of sleepers and floor like the first, being sure to brace well so asi not 
to glive down when loaded with potato here wall be eons 

able weight on them when loaded. My way of bracing is to nail 2x4 
on studding, letting it extend from lower sleeper to sleeper above, 
and the same way at the wall. This makes a good poet under each 
tier of shelves. 

Then build the third shelf or bin the same us second, which will 
make it 6 feet from bottom bin, or 6 V 2 feet from floor of house. 

Then fronts -of bins should be latticed with lx3'is, same as floor 
of bins, using about five strips to each bin. This gives about 20 
inches front for potatoes, which, when sloped back to 1 \' 2 to 2 feet 
from front, will come up to> bottom of sleepers above, Raving plenh 
of air space. 

By following this system — six inches to start wirth en bottom 
for sleepers, then each bin 3 feet deep, then putting 30 inches of po- 
tatoes on the top bin, leaves a space of 12 inches between potatoes in 
top bin an I the ceiling for air space. As each bin is. 36 fcieheisl deep, 
potatoes want to be put only 3 inches deep. This leaves an air space 
of 6 inches between bins, which is as little as they can do on. 

Study diagram closely, paying close attention to all hi and 

measurements. 

The 20x10 house is on same plan in regard to height, of bins 
and spacing, but the arrangement is different, as the leader will 
observe by studying the diagram. 

The strips for fronts of bins should have arms put on studding 
(for shelves or bins) up near ceiling, so that the strips* may be piled 
up on them when not in use, so as not to be lost when needed. Then 
they can be taken down one at a time when digging. 

Filliitg for Walls. 

A few words about filling the walls: Sawdust, when obtainable, 
is the best and cheapest for filling. But one thing to be guarded 



DIAGRAM C. 






Aisle— 5 ft. wide 



Door 



Aisle— 5 ft. wide 



Door 



Bin 

•>' .. ft . 



Door 



3 ft. 



Floor plan for house 20x40 feet. (Scale — 6 feet per inch.) 



By J. Green Noirdin, RusseHviile, Ark. 29. 

against carefully is to see that it is dry, or it. will rot the walls out 
in a very short time. Sawdust put into walls wet never dries until 
it rots. It forms itself into hard lumps and then draws apart (if it 
has not rot lea the walls out by this time) and leaves air space, caus- 
ing potatoes to get too cold if there is any freezing weather to be 
guarded against. 

I hlave found it expelnsive to repair walls after they have given 
aw,ay. The rotting of the sawdust mot only rot's 'the walls also, but 
will rot the studding and the sills, and cause your potatoes to over- 
heat at the wrong time. 

Cotton seed hulls are fine to fill walls with. They can be tamp- 
ed in good find tight and the wal's will never have to be refilled, as 
will be the ca,=e w;hen sawdust is used. Sawdust will shrink every 
year, no< matter how dry. It shrinks about 5 per cent every year, and 
the walls must be kept full at all tim.ss. If the builder is near a cot- 
ton seed oil mail he can get refuse hulls very cheap, and then his 
wall troubles are done. 

Small or very fine shavings are good if put in tight. If shavings 
are to be used as filler, walls Ishould be made a little thicker, as 
they do< not exclude air as well as sawdust or hulls, as it does not 
pack down as well. Another objection to stitavings, is that they give 
too good a retreat for rats and mlice, causing trouble in that way. 

Coal cinders make a good wall. If cinders are used the walls 
should he braced heavily, as cinders are very heavy. I have seen cin- 
ders used (not in potato houses) to fill walls with, and, they seem 
to be very q<"'cd. If iut in dry they v 1 never rot the walls I know 
of one house packed with cinders that has been standing sixteen 
years, and it is still in good condition. 

Another thing about finishing of house: If it is available, beat 

u/p slate rock and put all around the house to a depth of five or six 
inches, and for a distance from houlse of five or six fleet all around 
the house This will greatly protect the wall from rotting at the 
ground. This is especially advisable if the house is very close to 
the ground. 

Follow These Directions Carefully. 

And, Mr. Readier, in building a potato house, bear in mind that 
all those little precautions' must be observed, or it will take hard 
money to pay for mistakes. I have bad them all, 'but have learned 
them from experience, and some of them at a good, round price. But 
you can avoid these by following my directions carefully, and using 
plenty of caution. Too much caution cannot be exercised in preparing 
your potato house. If your house is properly built and ventilated, 
and instructions followed which will be given later on in this book, 
there is no need of losing any potatoes, eveni though you be a be- 
ginner in the business. But I would advise a ibeginner to go. at the 
Dusiiness on a small scale until he is flamiilar with the principles of 
"keeping potatoes. 







CQ 
i 

O 

K 
o 

o 



By J. Green Noirdin, Russellville, Ark. 31. 



Cost of House. 



The cost of house depends altogether upon the price of materials 
and cost of labor. In some locations, where there is no lumber and 
brick its cheap, as in some portions of Oklahoma and Kansas, it is 
much cheaper (to build of brick than of lumber. But in most section® 
of Arkansas lumber is cheaper tham anything else. I cian. grive almost to 
a dollar what the two* model houses described herein will cost at a 
stated price for lumber. The cost of foundation will vary according to 
material available for itisi construction. In, some localities where rock 
is available, the cost of getting it out is not so heavy as. having 
to buy shaped stone, but to buy crushed stone, sand amd cement is 
very expensive. But even this is cheaper than stone, wihene stone is 
not to be gotten easily. . Concrete is very nice for foundation, and al- 
so for the floor of house, but concrete floor inutsit /be covered wiiith 
dirt deep enough to absorb moisture, and not make it damp, either. 

As to cost, if built of lumber: There is no use to use expensive 
carpenters, except a foreman to plan out building and carry out the 
plans. Any person who can use saw and hammer oan do good work 
on the potato house. 

If foundation is built of stone, the cost of lime and sand will 
vary according to shape of stone. If the stones are rough or uneven 
it will take considerably more. 

I will try to give a complete bill of lumber aind all other mate- 
rials needed in the construction of both the 20x2 and the 2 0x4 
house. 

Lumber Bill for 20x20 Potato House. 

Framing: — 

4 pieces 4x12 — 20, sills 320 feet 

4 6 pieces 2x4 — 12, outside studding 368 feet 

40 pieces 2x4 — 10, inside studding 266 feet 

8 pieces 2x4 — 20, plates 106 feet 

80 feei 1x4, amy length, to tie studding 60 feet 

1 pieces 2x6 — 20, joists 200 feet 

220 feet 2x4, any length, stringers to nail boxing to 220 feet 

22 pieces 2x4, rafters 205 feet 

10 pieces 1x6 — 10, wind beams 50 feet 

100 feet 1x3, any length, lathing 150 feet 

Boxing for outside, inside, and overhead gables. — 

80 pieces 1x2, outside boxing 960 feet 

13 20 feet boxing, any width or lemgth, for inside and, overhead. 
Overhead must be shiplapped, or strips will hare to be* added. to 
bat cracks with. Outside boxing can te shiplapped if so desired and 
save strips 
For Shelving or Binls: 

10 pieces 2x6 — 10, pine, studding for bins 100 feet 



3 2. The Sweet Potato — How to Growl and Keep It. 

15 pieces 2x6 — 14, oak, cut once, sleepers for biin ....210 feet 

140 pieces 1x3 — 18, floor for bins ' 630 feet 

The lx.'; can. be any length, but are best full length if thisy can 
bo had. If not, they can be used shorter length, but are very 

troublesome and unhandy. 

There may be some very few pieces of lumber needed that I 
have not. named, but this lis practlcaly correct, as I have made out bill 
for mere than twenty potato houses. Thlis gives me a chance to es- 
timate cost very closely. 

As seen above, 4,225 feet of lumber wi 1 ! be required for the 
house, and 940 feet for shelving, making a total of 5,165 feet. At 
$12.00 per thousand, this will make the total cost for lumber $61.98. 

Lumber may cost moire in siome places, but in this vicinity it can 
be bought for $12.0 at the sawmill. But whatever the price of 
lumber, the total cost may be easily estimated. 

Following is an estimate of other materials needed for roofing, 
etc.: 

Roofing if made of galvanized iron (which 1 would advise above 
everything, because it is safer from fire and outlasts the painted 
tron) om building 20x20, with 14 foot rafters, will require 606 square 
feet, or six squares and 6 feet. At the prevailing price here of $3.75 
per square, would cost $22.72. Fifty e°nts should be added for 
nails. 

If shingles are used for roof with 4-'ii:i2h courses, would take 
5,500 shingles, which may be estimated at the price prevailiin,g in 
youi locality. 

140 trick will be required for flue, at a cost of about $1.75. 
Flue plate and hangers will cost about $2.00. 

Three set of 12-inch strap hinges for doors will cost 50c per pair, 
or $1.50. 

Be sure when haniging to insert good, sitout pieces to bang doors 
to, for they will be very heavy and if not well supported will soon 
begin to sag, causing a lot of trouble. 

Nails for the entire building should not cose over $3.00, as fol- 
lows: 40 lbs. 10 penny; 20 Ibis. 8 penny; 20 lbs. 20 penny; 20 lbs. 
40 penny Total, 100 poulnds. 

The buildier may use any priced stove desired, but cast stoves 
are the best about No. 22 or No. 2 4 box heater being a good size. 
Wood stoves are far best except at processing time, when a coal 
stove is preferable. But coal stoves are not best except at pro- 
cessing time, as it takes them too long to get hot, and often you 
only want to warm the air a little. Sheet iron stoves are no good, 
for keeping them hot so much during processing time burns them out 
soon. And they rust badly on account of dampness. About one or two 
seasons is as long as they will last. 

Thermometers should be beside every door, which takes two at 
a cost of about 20 cents each" for cheap ones. But it is beat to get good 
ones, so they may be relied upon. 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 33. 

. Complete Estimate of all Costs. 

Lumber, about $65.00 

Roofing 23.00 

Brick 1.75 

Flue plate anid Hangers 2.00 

Hinges 1.50 

Nails, 100 lbs „ 3.00 

Total $96.25 

For 20x40 Foot Potato House 

Will not go into details on 20x4 houise, but will give' an es- 
timate of cost, with an estimate of lumber required to construct siame. 
From the diagram the builder can tell what shape *o arrange the bin®. 
Of course in the larger house irt will take soime' moire material, more 
shelving, and more expense for doors, etc. The inside of houise will be 
entirely differenstly arranged. 

The bins across ends of it he houise will be the same as (in 20x20 
foot bouse, except thait the bins should be seven feett deep firom aisles 
to wall. The aisles will be five feet wide, making a space of 12 
feet from bin and aisles on either end, or 24 feet altogether, thus 
leaving 14 feet space between the aisles. Then a bin 14 feet long 
should extend along either iside of the house, lengthwise, from alaie 
to aisle. These bins should, be 6V 2 feed deep, and will leave a 
center aisle 4 % feet wide lengthwise of house, connecting with the 
aisle on either end. 

By building this way it gives plenty of air space and room for 
sacking and crating for shipping. You will recelive lots of orders 
when it is too cold to have doors open, and in that ease you must 
positivelly have room or you cannot iflill anything like a. car load at a 
time without taking some out, which must be prevented df possible. 

In estimating cost of building I "nave not estimated, cost of la- 
bor, for the price of labor varies in different localities, and as stated 
before, a foreman is the only high-priced labor that is needed. 

. Following is the materials needed for 20x40 house: 
Framing: — 

6 pieces 4x12 — 20, sills 480 feet 

64 piexes 4x12 — 12, outside studding 512 feet 

60 pieces 2x4 — 10, inside studding 340 feeit 

16 pieces 2x4 — 20, for plates 213 feet 

20 pieces 2x6 — 20, joists ' 400 feet 

160 feet 1x4, any length, to tie sltud ding 160 feet 

440 feet 2x4, any length, stringers 440 feet 

44 pieces 2x4 — 14, rafters . . v . . . • 410 feet 

22 pieces 1x6 — 10, wind beans 110 feet 

300 feet 1x3, any length, lathing 300 feet 

Boxing: — 

120 pieces 1x12, outside boxing .. .. 1440 feet 



34. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow; and Keep It. 

1320 feet, any length or wjdth, inside boxing and overheaded ga- 
bles. 
For SheHving or Bins: — 

26 pieces 2x6 — 10, stealing foir bins 260 feet 

40 pieces 2x6 — 14, oak, sleepers for bins 560 feet 

156 pieces 1x3—18, flooring for end bins 702 feet 

150 pieces 1x3 — 14, flooring for side bins 525 feet 

The material for sleepers aire given 14 feet long. They are to be 
cut amid two sleepers made from each timber. 

If 1x3 cannot be bad full length, they can be made up of short- 
er lengths, 

This gives /a total of 8,172 feet of lumber to complete the house, 
as 'nearly as can be estimated. 

It will take nearly 12 squares of roofing and at $3.75 per square 
the roofing will cost $45.00. 

Other materials needed are asfollows: 

Brick $1.75 

Flue plate and hangers 2.00 

Hinges 3.00 

Nails 5.00 

Lumber, at $12.00 per thousand feet 98.06 

Roofing 45.00 

Total $154.81 

It does not take much larger stove for the larger house than for 
the small one. 

The.-v estimates on construction! are about as near as can be put 
on paper, as I don't suppose' anyone has built more potato houses or 
made out more bills for them than I have. I have taken into consid- 
eration the prices for material prevailing in tliis locality. In some 
places it may be had cheaper, while in others it may cost more. 
While the builder wants to save all the expenses he can, the vital 
point ite to get everything right, even though it does cost a little 
ais it is better to save potatoes after they are made and 
housiod tham to lose them by trying to save a few dollars in cost of 
house. 



Digging Potatoes. 



Digging potatoes is a job which most everyone dreads, but if 
done on 1 a system planned out ahead it will not prove such a task. 

There are various methods o>f digging, some claiming one way the 
best and some another. But there- is one thing that must be guarded 
against under any method, and; that is the shinning or bruising of po- 
tatoes. They positively will not stand bruising. They must be han- 



By J. Green Nordin, Russell viile, Ark. 35. 

died very earafulily in taking them out of tha ground and afterward. 

Since. I commenced naifikng potatoes en a large scale and keep- 
ing them in potato houses, I have used a 10-inch middle buster to 
plow them up with. This is very expensive, as you have to plow deep 
enoulgh not to cut any of 'the potatoes or shinn or bruise them. This 
deep plowing of coiursie covers' up tots of potatoes which must he 

scratched our by hand. To scratch them out with rake or cither im- 
plement wo.nkl scratch anid bruise them and put them in bed condi- 
tion for keeping, thus losing mora than you save to cost o'f digging. 

The system I use is as. follows: 

I have boxes or crates in which to handle the potatoes, made 
as follows: End pieces are cut 12 inches long,' from %.xl 2-Jimch oak 
lumber, making ends 12x12, Sides and bottom are % incheis th'ilck and 
16y 2 inches long. These crates hold .about one bushel. It figures a 
little more than a bushed in cubic inches, but in digging you some- 
times faliil to get them full on account of dint sticking to them. 

Right here I wish to say that the grower phoulid have all era 
and his house put in reladiiirjc£Si during the summer, when he has 
plenty of time to clean up his house, for alt is sure to get very dirty 

diurimg the shipping sear-en ; and repair all craves thait become bursted 
or sides broken so as to Have them ready when the busy -oims' 

on. 

Also havo bolst-r springs for all wagons used in fci 

from field to house, so as to avoid bruising. 

If the vines are large when all things arc in readiness for digging 
which they are sure to be if the sea gocu en potatoes, I 

some small plow to drag them off with. The \incs can be cut s 
with a hoe, but this is very slow and is not advisable un,l 
vines arc wanted for feed. They are very fine for fiDing sites with.. 
Any kt-Eid of a plow is good fioir dragging the vines off wil : . 

use a c-ner'horse turning plow, which seems to do the work bat- 
ter than anything I have ever tried. Of couirs.fi this Leaves. the. a in 
fiaich a shape that they are not. much good for fieed, but as th'its 
is th|s bit 'oil in thej potato grower's (rep, he does mat car? 

rruuoh for the vines, further than to get them cut of the way and 
save his potatoes. 

After vines are out of the way I take th.> 10-inch mi ;' >ust- 
eir spoken of above. And here I wish to scy that there are 
middle busters that do not go deep enough to get the poitato'ci: 
deep soil. Tt takes a good, sized team to get una m. Thiey wjilil 

not keep if cut in digging. 

After being plowed up the potatoes are dug out by hand and 
placed along the side of rows in small piles acs far apart as can be 
laid — say about an arm's length either way. Tliej are them allow I 
lay here an hear or two, or even a half day does not hurt, so 
ajlll wet dirt en them dry. Genera; ly it. is advisable to plow uip every 
other row, eo asi to leave more room for working. If every row ifs 
plowed up at one time, it will cover Tip the potatoes that a.re thrown 



■ 




• ■ -/■;.;',* 



i! a> 








& •%■ 



A, 



..spL\; 



«9wiC&k« "■£ 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 37. 

over the ' r. After every atfciar row is d'ug, then the alltier- 

niating rows w] ich were left may be dug Lit me wiay. 

After lliey are sninned or dried,, pack thom up, taking cnily the 
ones that are large enough for eating p.uiripo.ses. T usually take thenn 
down, to 1 Vz laches in diameter, as this is the size usedi by canning 
factories. They require them to be at least that large. Then plick 
up the smaller one®, wl saved icr seed. By thus 

separating them in the ] e to be done at ship- 

ping time, and saves handlling them t 

Handlin is a very partiicul; i ne has 'to he 

very carefal not to bruise them, especially it! they are to be hauled 
very far. The crates that 1 h;a\e advised using fit exae'ly in a wide- 
tread wagon. I fiil.1 bottom of wagon tied, putting in tweinty crates. 
I then put a frame on this tier of crates and put in second tier. This 
frame cam be made oif I lumber, i take five pieces long- 

enough to lay crosswise in wagon box, and then take four p 
length of wagon box, maili r we'll. Lfter you are 

through digging put thls.se frames awiay for another season. 

After putting loaded era i i box in this way, pack 

vines around where they might jolt or jostle about any, jositlling 
in the wagon will shinn, them up, and even thi tiould not. 

rot, it mak<r& tb,e,m lock bad:, and bad (Samples always make bad 
sales. You can never expect to sell a horse with blemishes all 
him for as mu/ah as a sound horse. And tin iy with pota- 

toes. • . 

If you haul only a short distance, it is not necessary to fix 
for double-decking, as it takes more time than you will save in 
hauling. 

Puttiin*; IN/tatoes in House. 

After potatoes reach the houso tibey should be emptied upon 
the floor of the bins. Let one hand get at 'back side of bin, take 
crate and tain it upside clown, letting potatoes all fall out at once. 
Do not tip crate over slowly so as to let potatoes roll out one at a 
time, as this will shinn them up. Hold crate close down to floor 
as possible so laisi to bruise potatoes as Little as possible. Fill bin 
to bottom of sleepers of the bin to be put in above, or, thirty inches 
deep. This will leave am air space of six inches, which is very esn 
sential. Nail five 1x3 strips (one inch space between them, 'as de- 
scribed before under house instructions) up in front of bin, which 
will go up about 21 inches. This is higjh enough for the front, 
and potatoes may be sloped up toward the back to thirty inches 

deep. The slope at front gives plenty of room for air to get baiqk 
under potatoes in the 'bin above. 

When bin is full as described above, putt in flooring for next bin 
above, and fill in the same manner as the one below. And right 
here I wish to impress on the mind of the reader 'that these floors 
must never be nailed down. Stack them up next to the wall when 




. 








By J, Green Nordin, Ruissiellville, Ark. 3 9. 

bin, is empty. a& this will give room to empiy up crates and clean 
up house after the potatoes are out. 

Always fill cine bin- at a time, except whew one is being- fiillled 
with eating potatoes and another with seed potatoes. If the seed 1 pota- 
toes cain possibly be held back, they should never be put in until the 
lower bins are filled with eating potatoes, as the seed potatoes are 
smaller and require more attention, anid should be placed in the top 
bins if possible. They will get more air from above than they wflll 
frcm below. 

Potato Diggers. 

A few words about potato diggers. There Hue a humidreid and one 
kinds on the market, but i do not recommend them, ais I know but lit- 
tle about them. I have tried a few, but. found them mo good. Alii that 
I have tried were very small outfits. Some were im the> shape of big 
sweep® with fingers attached to under aide and rum back a distance 
of 18 to 24 inches But these are not good, for the reason that you 
cannot gat them in the ground deep enough to keep them from cut- 
ting the potatoes off, which will came them to rot. 

Then there are several makes of elevator diggers, which are fine 
for Irish potatoes, but I do not know they will work with sweet po- 
tatoes. I am going to try one this season, 1911', manufactured by 
Hoover Manufacturing Co., of Avary, O., but I do not know what at 
will do, as I have never tried it. I have in my possession testimoni- 
als from men who have used them, and if they are what they say they 
are, they will do the work. If thev do the work all right, one wlill 
pay for itself in digging 20 acres of potatoes 

Bear this in mind, that you cannot use anything that will sh:i/n;n, 
bruise or cut the potatoes, unlesis you are figuring on selling them 
to a canning f&icitory or canning them yourself Thlisi is what I propose 
to do aftei this season',' canning all thait my house will not hold and alll 
cut or bruised ones. By doing thiis the grower will have a chiamicie to 
save all damaged potatoes and not be puzzled over room to keep 

them, because yen cannot tell at transplanting time what you will 
have for a crop. You might figure on a yield of 150 bushels per 
acre and get 250, and if you had interred usilng a 1000 bushel house 
you would come up short on room. 



Keeping sweet potatoes after they are housed seems to bei the one 
job dreaded by most growers. During all my life I have noticed the 
dread that is constantly on the mind of any grower wjho has a large 
surplus of sweet potatoes.. They do .iot know what to do with them 
after they are dug, as they are almost sure to rot some time durin\g 



By J. Green Nordin, RuESieiilville, Ark. 41. 

the winter. But in this section this dees not bother the grower any 
more, for the potatoes are always put in potato hiatuses. But up to 
within ten years ago they rotted here as they do in other localities. 
But the people have gradually Learned more about them, and now, un- 
less theire are more potatoes than houses will hold, they a 
through the v, inter with no fear of lo 

The main thing in keeping potatoes is the right prooessin the 

start. That is, the first ten days or two weeks after they are d 

The system of processing will have to vary on different potatoes, 
depending upon condition of ©oil an which they are grown, ■ 
of potai; md condition of season at digging 

Potatoes in a very dry year are easily kept, unless* theirx lots 

of rain jusl al ; time, which makes teen, the hai . any 

Ic; Keep, fo.' they burst open making deep cracks in one or both 
sides of the potato. Thesis are th potato to rot. On 

account ol growing in her and thru g so full of 

just at the time they ought to be matured, the: wthy, 

which mak LI \m ; : : ; :o do anything with. 

Then different soils make some difference as to their curiE : qual- 
Where there is red clay in y take less cui n in 

any other soil, if there is any pari of sitiekj '.and, or soil t ! 
inclined to run together th bit, it mates a potato that iis hard 

to keep undir any ki; I 

cure without going clown some. So 

make them rot. V gin to drop them, which wall I 

plained ! , limed to swivel at ■■ much, 

after a few v. y are inclined :o heat. Af 

they a intil hand not good 

for potatoes in any ki'i ajr, for in dr: as they will not 

make anything, and in irs they will not keetp, so it is the best 

policy to I'M that kind of soil aioin > wth a growing potatoes. Very of- 
ten such land i bad tor briars and persimmon gfl which 
cause disesse ei po Mi will be explab d later on. 

Sandy land makes potatoes! tha a 

>, as I !.< y do not 
";;i with lots o.f r dn 
bind of soil. 

When (o Fire Up Stoves. 

As sonu i be started in 

stove, and if weahetr is cool whi ■, M i.s have 

some fi: ■ while digging. And if wrather remain; than a. 

week or ', , : ^ c to pr it is mot 
best en thp last ones dug, ycit it w:l] V 

If the wmtlic!' i!« colder ttan 56 degrees, or ever. 60, there should 

be some fire every day, and the potatoes a'red every d !•< iving 
house open at least ore hour in morning and one hour at might, un- 



By J. Green Nordin, Rmssellville, Ark. 43. 

less it is frosty, when they should be aired about thirty minutes, with 
all doors and air holes open. If the thermometer stands' albo.ve 56 or 
60 during digging time, keep doors open all the time, niiglht and day, 
no mattei how high the thermometer should register, even if iit should 
go to SO or 9 degrees. 

After digging a® spoken of above, start fire, closing the doors and 
air holes hole.fi tight; except when atmosphere is warmer outside than 
inside, which is not very likely to be at this season of the year. Keep 
the doors and air botes airtight, except as spoken of above, and try 
to bring the temperature up at least ten degrees every day, giving the 
house air with all doors and air holts open at least one hour eiaish 
morning and evening. Bear this hi mind, to keep all doors and air 
hoies open when the air iis warmer outside until the potatoes go to 
the neuuired beat, and them open house up afterward emery time the 
air is as warm outside as inside. Keep raisins: the temperature. If 
you .cannot get it up ten degrees each day, raise it all you can \r\- : ] 
it g'ts about 85 or 90 degrees. If it has been raining a lot about 
digging time, stop the temperature' about 85 degrees. If it has Ibeen 
a dry year and rained a lot at digging time or juElt bi fore, run 
the temperature up to about 90 degrees. If it has been very dry all 
the season and stays dry through digging time, do not run the tem- 
perature higher than 75, and for an ordinary year, about 80 degrees 
is sufficient. In fact, 80 deigneesi its the supposed 'temperature to run 
them to, unless they are very wisit when put in the house. Hold 
to this temperature, giving aiir at right times as mentioned above. And 
at all times when you cam get within 10 degrees of this temperature.,, 
open u'p house and let in sunshine. Keep potatoes to tempera' ur - 
described above for a period of 10 to 15 days, according to the condi- 
tion they get in, as described below, noticing these conditions very 
carefully: 

When potatoes show up as above, cease firing and let tli9 
temperature drop gradually, not over 6 to 8 degrees each day, until 
you are down to 56 or 60 degrees, giving them all the aiir that the 
weather will permit. When you stop firing, open the air holes, and do 
not close them any more except when it is cold — 'say 4 degrees or 
colder. Then jit is best to close them, opening them a few minutes 
each day to let the foul air out. 

The Ventilating- Fan. 

I will give a short description of the fan ventilating system which 
I am using. Potatoes will keep without it, but it hellpsi greatly. By 
its use you can save all out potatoes, and it helps greatly when the 
potatoes are wet with mud in a bad season, which the grower iis likely 
to have seme years. 

I use a common blacksmith's blower, No. 1, for a, 2 0x2 houi-e, 
and No. 2 or 3 for the 20x4 house. I put them as near to the 
ceiling as I can get them, and put my lime is/haft in a small opening 
over one of the doors. The opening may be made from 1x4 inch lum- 



44. The Sweet Potato— Hc>w to Grow and Keep It. 



ber, which will imake an opening three inches square, inside measure- 
ment. Your engine must be on the outside, for if you do not use 
an adr-cooled engine, the boiling water from engine tank will! cause a 
dampness to rise which -will damage the potatoes. Aind it is safer to 
have these engines on the outside anyway. 

Estimate the speed of engine bo as to run No. 1 fan 3 800 revo- 
lutions per minute; No. 2, 3500; and No. 3, 3200. They have to be run 
at above speed to throw the air like it ought to be thrown, with all 
the force that the fan will possibly bear. 

For o< aveying the air throughout the building, I use what tin- 
ners use for "diown spouting," or 4 or 5 inch gas stove piping. This 
is good unless the air loses out at the joints or eTJbows. With the 
exception of this objection, it is by far the best, for it is easily han- 
dled and can be turned about in any direction you may want to 
use if. 

After equjpiPMiig my house i ;; this way after a day's digging I 
can throw the air right in under the bins and keep the air circulating. 
This dries ike dampness out, and causes ail cut potatoes to seal 

■over so lb will keep better than to be left alone, for they 

will sure ret if this system is not used. And the bad part of cut 
and bruised potatoes is, that they rot lots of others. 



Marketing Potatoes. 



Marketing the potatoes after they are grown is of course the bus- 
iness end of the industry. I have had experience in almost every 
way imaginable connected with selling and trading potatoes. I have 
hauled them to town and traded them for groceries, peddled them on 
the streets, traded them to other farmers for (heir products, shipped 
them to be Bold on commission, shipped direct to retailer, and have 
sold thom it; almost any way that could be thought of. Selling them in 
nearby towns is best, when they can consume all the supply, but when 
the demand is not equal to the supply you Lave to resort to ship- 
ping them. 

I was in the business until 1906 before 1 ever shipped a bushel 
of potatoes. In 'February, 1907, I shipped one car load, receiving a 
good pri?e tor them. Since then I have been shipping most all my 
crop. In fact, the past two seasons, I shipped my entire crop, and 
also handled considerable potatoes for other parties. 

As stated above, it is best to sell to nearby towns when conven- 
ient, for in this case they only have to be measured, and not weighed. 
In some states the weight is an excess, as in Texas, for instance, you 
have to give G5 pounds per bushel, while in Arkansas it is only 50 
pounds. Then for local shipments you do not have to buy b'arrels, 
crates or sacks to ship in. Also, you run no risk of having potatoes 



By J. Green Nordin, RussellviMe, Ark. 45. 

sidetracked on the road somewhere and damaged or lost in shipment. 
And you do not have' to contend with the bad buyer, which all grow- 
ers are sure, to strike if he deals with very many commission men. 
All commission men, are not this way?, however, as I find some of 
them straight as can he. 

My system of selling potatoes that have been kept through the 
winter is simply this: When all the local potatoes are out of the 
way and the market is good, I select same nice samples (not too 
large) and take them to the buyers, showing exactly w.hat I have 
and can deliver them. I make my prices to them, always allowing 
for freight rates, because you always have to make a delivered 

price. No commission man will buy in any way except f. o. b. at 
his station. This is also advantageous, for the reason that if you are 
in behind them you cam rush them through, while the buyer probably 
has several car loads of other perishable staff that needs pushing as 
well as the potatoes. Hardly any wholesaler or jobber will buy ex- 
cept when delivered. 

There are various ways of preparing potatoes for shipment, but 
all are not good, for skinning them makes an awful bad sample. 

The best package is a 150 pound barrel, although in some local- 
ities it is very hard to find barrels. If it is very far from factory, 
empty sugar barrels, apple barrels, onion barrels, are all good, and 
in a town of any size they can generally be picked up very cheaply. 
Lime barrels are finest of any second-hand barrel, as the lime is 
good for the potatoes. I have used sacks for shipping more than any- 
thing alse, for I could alwyas get them quickly. B<ut they are not 
good as barrels. They are the sorriest of any method of shipping 
sweet potatoes. 

The growier must never under any circumstances ship potatoes to 
a broker, as it is too dangerous a proposition. They are usually a 
class of business men whom it will not do to trust. If they do get 
good prices, you will often realize but little out of them. 

In loading cars for potatoes, always get refrigerator cars, but 
be sure there is no ice in the bunks. Also see that car is clean. If 
car is not clean, and cannot be cleaned, refuse it, for a refrigerator 
with a salty floor is sure to rot the potatoes quickly. Be sure there 
is no tiriaisih of any kind in the ice boxes. If car is a small one, do 
not put over 4 50 bushels in it, if potatoes are in sacks, If packed 
in barrels, it dees not matter how many you put in the car, just so 
they do not mash each other or skin or bruise up in anyway. If seed 
potatoes are being shipped, more can be loaded in the car. 

PUT ST.OVE IN CAR. 

If it is likely to be very cold while potatoes are on the road, put 
a stove in the car. In loading the ca~ io?ul from both olds, so 
as to 't'iu i-yfice in the middle f car for the stove if needed. 

My plan for putting stove in car is as follows: Use a coal oil 



46. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow and Keep It. 



stove. No railroad company will allow a gasoline stove, as it is 
dangerous. Fixst make a Small platform large enough for stove to 
sit on. Swing this on the ceiling of the car with wire. Then take four 
1x3 inch strips and mail them about three feet from wire at ceiling, 
and then to platform, putting the stoves as eloso to the 'ceiling as you 
can iget it. This will keep the air warm df the weather is not too cold. 
If it gets very cold, it is best to take the stove down to the floor. 
In this case the attendant has to stay in the car all the time, as the 
stove might be knocked over by the jolt of the train. This might set 
the car on fire. In ear loads, an attendant is necessary at all times, 
for in cold weather the stove has to be attended to, and at all times 
the ear must be ventilated at least twice a day. This is very easily 
done. While the train is moving, open the doors over the ice boxes. 
If it is cold, do not leave them open but a few minutes at a time; but 
if warm, they may stay open all the time. Attendant must have a 
thermometer, both inside the car nnd outside; on inside, to see that 
the potatoes are warm enough, and on the outside so as to know 
how the weather is on the outside and the better regulate 'tem- 
perature on kuside. 

If all the above directions are followed, though they are brief, 
there is not much danger of losing potatoes in transit. 

After car reaches its destination, do all that is in your power to 
get it set at proper place for unloading as soon as possible, as the 
potatoes are always safer in the house than in the car. 



Diseases of Potatoes. 



In writing of the diseases of) sweet potatoes, probably I may 
not give it as scientifically as some botanists would, but I will try 
in a plain way that may be understood by all, to give some di- 
seases that have come under my observation. 

I have had some trouble with plants not growing well, on account 
of insects, but not enough to amont to anything serious, as no in- 
sects that work on the vines live long enough tc entirely kill them. 
The Army Worm that eats the leaves from cotton does some work in 
potatoes some >ears. If there is cotton near the potatoes, and the 
worms are very tad, they will eat the leaves off the potatoes, which 
in this case would be good for them. For Army Worms are never 
very numerous except in very wet summers, and in this kind o>f sea- 
son the vines grow too rank and do not let the sunshine into the po- 
tatoes. Of course I do not suppose the Army Worm lives further 
north than the "cotton belt." 

BLACK ROT. 

The worst disease we have to contend with, is the Black R'Ot, 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 47. 

which, when in its worst stage, is something very bad. And when it 
once gets into potatoes, the only way to get rid of it is to change 
seed, place of bedding, and land, as the land gets full of the disease. 

It is very easy to tell when black rot gets into potatoes. In 
digging, you can see black spots from the size of a pinhead to as 
large as a half dollar. These spots are always hard and firm as the 
rest of the potato while in the field. After putting in the house they 
begin to grow in size and nuimber. When potatoes are diug the spots 
are only skin deep, but as soon as housed the spots will get deep- 
er, and the rest of the potato will become covered wlith something that 
looks like blisters. When they get in this condition,, no 'matter how 
healthy other potatoes may be, they will contract the disease. If 
there is enough of theim in the house, after five or isix weeks they 
will begin to heat the house, and all affected potatoes will begin to 
spWout some if they are very large. 

If at digging time there is only one potato in the hill that has 
the disease showing, it is in the whole hill and may break out in 
the house after the potatoes are stored, some of them showing up 
even three months after potatoes are dug. 

I have taken potatoes at digging time as above and listed it 
out when I could (ais I have been bothered but little with black 
rot.) Furthermore, when they are affected, you can take one 

sound potato from the hill and the disease will show up the nest 
year. When once they contract the disease, it stays from year to 
year, growing worse all the time. 

If the disease is in tlhe stock of potatoes, ;you may pick out sound 
looking potatoes and bed theim, and it will show up on the plants. 
There will be narrow black streaks on the roots of the plants, some- 
times going half way around the plants. And again, it may not be 
seen on the plants, but will show up on the potatoes. An experienc- 
ed eye will detect it on the plants or potatoes without any black 
spots showing. The only way out of it when stock has 1 been affected 
with black rot is to get new seed and change land until the affected 
land is clear of the disease. 

If the grower gets it into his potatoes, he can save his crop from 
rotting, but it causes them to be sorry for eating purposes. Of course 
the seed, or small potatoes can, be used for stock feed. At digging 
time if there be very much black rot, put the potatoes in the house 
as quickly as possible, and begin heating theim, airing as much as 
possible. Run the temperature up to 100 degrees as quick as they will 
bear it, and hold it there until potatoes begin to sprout. Then cool 
down to about 50 to 54 degrees, and be sure not to let them go over 
60 degrees. If they try to heat too much, go through them and pick 
out all affected potatoes and carry them far enough away to pre- 
vent the odor coming back to the house. 

The kind of land that is more subject to black rot is where it 
had been manured with barnyard fertilizer, or land where there are 



48. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow^ and Keep It. 

persimmon sprouts or oots. Also where the land is filled in, low 
places where the land is made, and land which runs together is very 
bad some years. It is worse in wet years than in any other years. 

NIMIETOADS. 

Next to black rot the worst plague to potatoes is the Nimietoad, 
a small, egg-like insect which, .when grown, is near the size of a 
mustard seed, or hardly so large. If they have any active power it 
is more than I have ever been able to detect. They are cream col- 
ored, and when grown they break or burst with the least bit of 
pressure. I have cut open potatoes affected with them and found 
thousands of them, so small you could see them only in mass except 
with the aid of a magnifying glass. If they ever hatch into anything 
else, I have never been able to detect it. I have been in commu- 
nication with several experts, and none of them have ever given them 
aanything further than the foregoing. 

The effects they have on potatoes are as follows: If the land 
gets thin, vihich is the natural breeding place for them, and the land 
is run continuously in potatoes, they will get so bad that the vinesi will 
die in the summer, and what few potatoes there are will be clear of 
roots, and will mot be larger than roots themselves. If the land is 
cultivated in potatoes continuously after this disease sets in, it will 
get so you can raise nothing on it. Even corn Willi die before it 
tassels, and cotton, peas and sorghum will ylied all the leaves off like 
it had tihe rust. You can pull up eottton stalks and they will be just 
one straight root with all the feed roots eaten off. 

The only wlay to get rid of them is to change land and seed, as 
in black rot. It is a great deal easiier controlled than black rot, 
and does not make the potatoes rot so badly in the house. Potatoes 
affected with Nimietoad do not need heating as if affected with black 
rot, but they have to be assorted and the affected ones taken out. 



In Conclusion. 



Now in concluding this little book, I wish to say that I may 
have left out some very important things, but I have tried to cover 
aflil the essential points to a potato grower, on the various subjects 
dealt with. 

If the grower will follow all the directions carefully, he will not 
be likely to lose many potatoes. He must use plenty of caution, keep- 
ing in mind that to makje a success of anything, it must be done 
right, no matter what it is. 

When I commenced to raise sweet potatoes, as explained in the 
first part of this book,, I met with plenty of disappointments. Having 



By J. Green Nordin, Russellville, Ark. 49. 



no capital with which to work, and inexperienced, I had a very hard 
row to weed, but I have staid with the industry until I have made 
a success out of it. 

If there is any particular thing in, this 'hook which the reader 
does not understand, enclose stamp and it will be made plainer if pos- 
sible. 

The estimates of cost of houses are made for this immediate lo- 
cality. Anyone can figure the cost on the different materials in 
his own locality, as there are no two places where' the cost of all the 
materials will be the same. 

The demand for sweet potatoes is constantly growing, and to my 
opinion, in a very few years the South can stop so much cotton rais- 
ing, wMch is the ruination of the Southern farmer. .For the past four 
or five years 1 have failed to have anything like enough potatoes to 
fill my orders. The last season I did not have one bushel' for every one 
hundred bushels I had orders' for. 

The grower must bear in mind that a good sample is what sells 
his potatoes, and then live up tO' the sample. Never in any case ship 
out anything that is not first-class, as one bad shipment will ruin you 
with that buyer for good. 

There are always some bad potatoes, no matter how good your 
crop may be or how well cared for. They can usually be handled to 
good advantage locally, where you can see the buyer personally and 
sell for a class of trade that demands that class of potatoes. But if 
these inferior potatoes were put in your carloads, it would damage 
them quite a lot. And if handled Through a commission merchant, he 
might turn the whole load down because of a few bad potatoes. 

One Tilng about diseases of potatoes. When you contemplate 

changing seed, it would be a good idea to have a botanist examine 
a sample of the new seed decided upon., for if the seed is bad it is 
a sure thing that the potatoes will show up bad in digging. And 
besides making the stock of potatoes bad, it will cause the land 
to get full of diseases. It might become inoculated with Nimetoads, 
and once this gets into the land there is not much chance of getting 
rid of it, especially this far south, as it takes very hard freezing 

weather to get them out of the way. Also the 'black rot can ruin you 
through the seed potatoes. 

CANNING POTATOES. 
A few words about canning sweet potatoes. This I believe will be 
the quickest way to get a good price for sweet potatoes, for when 
they are canned they are always ready money. In fact, you can 
always engage them two or three months before they are canned. 

It takes a steam pressure canning outfit to can potatoes. You can- 
not can them successfully in open retorts, for you can only heat them 
to 212 degrees until the water begins to evaporate, while potatoes 
have to heat to 240 degrees to kil the germs so they will keep. 

There are some canning outfits with steam pressure on the mar- 



50. The Sweet Potato — How to Grow and Keep It. 

ket. They come a little higher than the open retort ouitlfiit. 

I find that the ibest plan in operating a home canning outfit ia 
to sell your pack before you begin canning. Then wiien you are canr 
ning, all you have to do is to ship your goods out as fast as they aire 
ready. Always try to sell to the best dealers — the ones who have 
the widest trade. 

After this season I expect to can, all my culls and damaged po- 
tatoes. And if it proves a success, I am expecting later to can ev- 
erything aibove the seed size. 

OVERPRODUCTION NOT POSSIBLE. 

And this I wish to say about the sweet potato industry. Do not 
get into your head that there will be an overproduction. Same grow- 
ers have written me that they had only a small amount of potatoes, 
and they rotfed on their hands before they could sell them . 

Now if these growers had been prepared to take care of their po- 
tatoes, they would not have had enough to last their customers until 
wiimter set in good. In their case, what potatoes they could keep were 
damaged, and the dealers were afraid to handle very many at a 
time, making it very troublesome, and not much profit either to the 
grower. or dealer. If they could have kept their seed potatoes until 
spring, they would have made a great deal more out of their crop 
than they did in the way it was handled. 

PRICE OF THIS BOOK. 

Now, .his to the price of this little book. 1 would be gilad if I 
could put it out as a bulletin through the Government, and let 

every farmer have it free for the asking. But I have been to con- 
siderable expense getting it u;p, going into alii the details so as to 
make it a® plain as possible. I have spent ten years of my life in 
the sweet potato business, and I am now giving my experience of all 
these years for the small amount asked for this book, which is very 
cheap, considering the amount of information it contains, and the 
profit it will prove to everyone who reads it and grows and cares 
)foir potator. |3 according to the suggestions herein. 



The Original Fuller & Johnson Steel 
Frame Bemis Transplanter 

Is the only practical machine for transplanting tobacco, cab- 
bages, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, nursery stock. 

Better Than By Hand 

Plants set by this machine start sooner — Mature 
more evenly. 

It not only saves time in labor but results in increase 
in yield per acre. 

Set youir plants when ready. You don't have to wait 
for rain. Each plant is watered at the roots and is cov- 
ered with dry earth, hence no baking of soil around the 
plant. 

The only t rains p la niter witheveiry feature necessary for 
every purpose and with every adjustment desired. 

ITS DISTINCTIVE FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES are: 

The floating shoe. 

The soft steel center high tjmpereri and polished pres- 
sure plates. 

The uniform pressure on uneven ground. 

The absolute and quick device for regulating the quan- 
tity of water required. 

The perfect spacing device. 

The equalization of droppers weight in applying pres- 
sure ;o the pressure plates and shoe. 

Strength, durability and simplicity. 

Users of the Biemis EVERYWHERE will testify to 
its superior merit. 

Puy only the original Fuller & Johnson Bemis Trans- 
planter made by 

Madison Plow Company 

Manufacturers also of Plows, Harrows, Cultivators, 
Corn Planters, Etc., Etc., 



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